RSRRacer

I will say that I've met some of the best people in my life via PCA racing. Super intelligent, driven, wildly successful. They made me a better person.

LuigiVampa

Clearly, we have never met in person! LOL!

Nizer

This statement resonates. There's a reason Porsche Sprint Challenge, IGT, and Carrera Cup are all flourishing. The Sebring Sprint Challenge season opener saw double-digit increase in car count. Racers want close competitive racing with similar cars. The idea, as is being considered with VIR, of having only two classes is a deterrence personally.

Ditto

RSRRacer

.....and some folks who can't make the Sebring sprint races because their breath was still flammable. And often this was the same group of people 😂😂

GlenL

Yes... And certainly the total track time over the event is more with PCA. Events vary but, generally, there is all the time ya need to learn the track, shake out the vehicle and have some fun qualifying. I miss the practice starts. The starts are exciting.

ProCoach

Agree with all. Especially miss practice starts. One thing most folks never get enough practice doing.

LuigiVampa

This is a perfect example of PCA just "doing something" without input. I don't remember any kind of poll in regards to doing away with practice starts - they just disappeared!

I know what PCA will say - "no one showed up" for the practice starts. That might be true, but whenever I was asked to take part, that way there were more cars to practice with, I always did it. The problem is I was almost never asked. The one single on track portion of helping rookie drivers and they did away with it.

Anyone agree with that decision?

fatbillybob

We used to have a club AROSC.org. It was an Alfa Romeo club with a racing arm that gave out race licenses and had race school on the streets of Willow. I learned more in that race school than any other partly because so much time was dedicated to race start with 1st lap. Part of the curriculum was every driver got a chance at being on pole, surviving in the middle , and seeking opportunity at the back. I had so much fun I took that school 3 or 4 times just for the practice starts and 1st lap.

Jas0nn

Me!

It was a waste of track time; no almost no one bothered with them.

LuigiVampa

It is a complete waste of time, except for the rookies who were required to attend, drivers who were unfamiliar with the track and wanted more seat time, and people who had repaired their race cars and wanted some on track testing. So aside from giving rookies any sense on how to start a race, which is the most difficult part of the race, I agree it is a complete waste of time for everyone else.

Stewards stopped asking drivers to take part in the practice starts to help the rookies and so it died off. Why not assign practice starts at random to experienced PCA drivers, or at least ask who might want to take part and pick from that pool? For the very same reason I have been a PCA instructor, I would also take part in practice starts if asked - because I want to help the next racer.

Jas0nn

Except there are so few rookies, it becomes a very poor use of a valuable asset. In its place, everyone now gets an extra practice session ...

I never skip a Practice (on purpose); I always skipped the Practice Starts/Fun Races (unless I had some kind of hardship).

LuigiVampa

This is throwing the baby out with the bathwater. If there are no rookies than add a practice session. If there are do some fun races.

If we want more PCA racers we have an obligation to helping them, otherwise we are all part of the problem.

Jas0nn

You're assuming those practice starts are (1) the only way to prep racers, and (2) actually prep racers. A genuine Club Race school at specific events would be far more effective!

But keeping an underutilized Fun Race for each run group, to serve an increasingly limited number of rookies never made sense to me. And that's why I think it was a good decision to give that track time back to the racers in a way more appreciated way. A simple comparison of the take rates for that extra Practice v. the Fun Race proves this out ...

LuigiVampa

For PCA to think about establishing a race school suggests a level of engagement and willingness to change that is an order of magnitude different from current PCA thinking. You might as well suggest umbrella girls while you are at it!

coryf

I was involved with a meeting between PCA national staff and a group of the larger teams/shops and drivers at Road Atlanta this past weekend to begin discussions on how to address this issue. It went extremely well and will for sure be the start of movement in the correct direction. There were some great ideas, comments, concerns and clarification's made in a very open and respectful way. The ideas and concerns are going to be discussed with the head of PCA racing and there will be another meeting scheduled very soon. Most of the ideas were great and I believe will go a long way to help PCA entries grow and get the numbers back to the time when events sold out. Obviously, it is in the very early stages but some topics for discussion included (not in any particular order):

Updating the 13/13 rule
Run group size, class/speed disparity.
Reducing the number of classes.
Updating the 13/13 appeal process
A clearer path for new drivers to transition from DE to racing.
Better marketing for the series (live stream, local region promotions, email/social media blasts during and after the weekends)
Better awards for both the individual races and national championships.
Bucket list/Signature event that moves to a different track every year. (4 year rotation that ends with Rennsport)

These where not the only topics that were touched on but gives an idea of some of the great ideas that might be implemented to help the series grow. Please note that nothing was decided on and it is in the very early stages. The nation staff involved were very excited and highly motivated to make the series a better place and with the start of this type of discussion and the excellent people involved, it will be better than ever.